Dili, June 19, 2018 – General Directorate of Statistics Timor-Leste has released Consumer Price Index for the month of May 2018 at the GDS REHA Conference Room Caicoli Dili.

The General Director of Statistics, Mr. Elias dos Santos Ferreira during his opening remarks by saying that, All Groups percentage change 0.0% for the month of May 2018, compared to April 2018 rose (+0.7%).

Percentage change of All Groups was contributed from Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages which also 0.0% and small increase in Transport group (+0.4%). There was a change in subgroups within Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages group such as Coffee, Tea and Cocoa (-1.1%), Meat (-0.4%), Vegetables (0.1%), Bread and Cereals (-0.3%) and Fruits (-0.3%) which offset by Rice (+0.2%), Sugar, Jam, Honey, Chocolate and Confectionary (+0.7%), Milk, Cheese and Eggs (+0.7%) and Oils and Fats (+0.3%) subgroups. The price of rice increased for this month was driven by imported rice which reflected by a rise in international price of rice (9%) in the first quarter of 2018. Price of international oil also rose 4% in the same period which filtered to the domestic oil price.

Annual All Groups percentage change rose (+2.5%) compared May 2018 to May 2017, contributed by Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+1.9%), Alcohol and Tobacco (+9.3%), Education (+16.6%), Transport (+2.2%), Housing (+1.3%), Clothing and Footwear (+0.9%), and Furnishing, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance (+0.4%) groups. Recreation and Culture (-1.3%) group was the offsetting movement for the calendar year of May 2018.

Tradeable CPI was 0.0% and Non-Tradeable CPI also 0.0% compared May 2018 to April 2018

Tradeable (+3.1%) and Non-Tradeable CPI (+1.2%) rose compared May 2018 to May 2017

The ceremony was attended by Central Bank Representatives, Mr. Benigno, representatives of line ministries, Civil Society, University Students, GDS management team and several media organizations that based in Dili.